Op-Ed: Molgano helped when no one else would

Published 6:30 pm, Friday, October 5, 2012

My name is Heather Lindner and while living in Stamford, I had the privilege of getting to know Representative Michael Molgano. I'm writing to share my story of how Mike came into my life and helped my family at a time when it seemed that no one else would.

In March of 2010, due to unforeseen circumstances, my husband and I were without health insurance. I was five months pregnant with our first child at the time. We joined the state health care plan, Charter Oak, because it was all we could afford.

I soon discovered, though, that very few doctors and hospitals accepted the insurance. My OBGYN made the exception for me, but Stamford Hospital, which he's affiliated with, did not. The only hospital in the area that accepted Charter Oak was Greenwich Hospital. However, there was not one OBGYN affiliated with them that accepted the insurance. I had a doctor but no hospital to deliver my baby in. Or I had a hospital but no doctor. I was told my only solution was to use the clinic at Greenwich Hospital for my maternity care needs.

The clinic at Greenwich Hospital is staffed by two OBGYN's, who see expectant mothers once a week and it's first-come, first-served. My husband I and got to the clinic before it opened and we waited three hours before we saw the doctor. We learned that the doctor who would deliver our baby would be an on-call doctor who we wouldn't even get to meet beforehand, not the one we would be seeing for all my prenatal appointments.

Picturing myself sitting and waiting for three hours, once a week, to see a doctor in a clinic, who wouldn't even be there at crunch time, made me feel sick. How could it be that we were paying so much money for health insurance and did not have a doctor? It wasn't right. I was determined to try one more time to get someone to help us. I wrote my story and sent it to the insurance company, hospitals, newspapers, and every Connecticut politician who had an email address. Out of all those people, only one responded and said he wanted to help, Representative Michael Molgano.

Mike read my story and he called me immediately. He felt the same way I did, that this hole in the system was unfair. He said he couldn't guarantee anything but he promised he would try to help. He even gave me his home phone number to call him anytime. I've never known a politician or spoken to one in person, but I admit I am wary of them. I'm also a registered Democrat, so I'm especially wary of Republicans.

However, Mike is different. After talking to him, I felt like he is in office for the right reasons. He wanted to help me because he felt it was the right thing to do.

Not long after I first spoke with Mike, I got the best news I could have hoped for. Mike called the president of Stamford Hospital and convinced him to let me give birth there. Not only was I going to be allowed to give birth there, but Stamford Hospital would also accept the minuscule reimbursement from my insurance and cover the rest of the cost themselves. My husband and I were shocked and beyond thrilled! After months of struggling and meeting dead ends, we finally got the help we so desperately needed.

When I thanked Mike for all of his help, he humbly said he couldn't take all the credit because many people were praying for us that things would work out.

This past July my son Henry turned a year old and Mike emailed me to wish Henry a happy birthday. I couldn't believe he remembered the exact day!

Michael Molgano is up for re-election this year. He is exactly the type of person who should be in office, representing Stamford. Mike actually cares about the residents of Stamford. He didn't have to help me. He could have easily ignored my story, but he didn't because he takes his job seriously.

I don't live in Stamford now but if I did, this Democrat would be voting for Representative Michael Molgano. I would be so appreciative if my story could be printed for others to see. These days it's easy to feel like you have no voice as a middle-class voter and I want others to know that Michael Molgano hears you.